World's Finest Gift Card in Plain English

The only gift card in the world - in plain speak. Direct from the creators.

The idea came to me after 2 years of struggling to find a commercial vendor who would finance an expansion on our Inn. The PineCrest Bed and Breakfast Inn is located in an 1825 6000 SF historic home and has long history of housing guests from away.

During the peak season and special holidays, the Inn fills to capacity and over the course of a year, hundreds of guests are turned away to look for lodging somewhere else. The PineCrest is the only Inn in Gorham, Maine, home to the University of Southern Maine and the great Sebago Beer Company.

After much thought and discussions with private investors, the idea struck me. Create an affordable gift card that was different then any other. A gift card or gift certificate that would reward those who purchased it. But not with a discover card style rebate. I wanted a real big reward. Since the capital raised from the gift card was going to create more rooms and an amazing list of amenities, the reward would not only be equal to the original purchase but more.

Since the proceeds from the gift card is the same as a small investment we would treat the buyer of the gift card like an investor. Give them a return on their gift card. And like a really good investment, make sure they got their money back. So the gift card pays a 4% return or cash back rebate to whoever buys the card. And pay the return even if the card is redeemed and when the Inn someday changes hands, pay everyone back the full purchase price of the card.

Of course we can't have everyone redeeming their cards at the same time so we have to limit the number used each month. And during the times of peak demand we have to limit how many cards are redeemed in one visit. But thats really they only restrictions on the cards.

Since the PineCrest is the most convenient bed and breakfast in southern Maine, I know people will get their money's worth. The PineCrest is located only 15 minutes from Portland, 12 minutes from the Airport, 2 hours from Boston, 25 minutes from Freeport and LL Beans, 40 minutes from Kennebunkport and only 15 minutes to Sebago Lake.

The Inn provides high quality rooms and some of the best prices in the region. Each room comes with complementary wi fi, full served breakfasts and a membership at the PineCrest Club, a private restaurant with live jazz and wine and draft beer bar.

For more information on how the Inn go to www.pinecrestmaine.com or for the gift card or certificate go to www.visitmainegivecard.com

World's Finest Gift Card

Small Business Creates a “Too good to be true gift card.”

When faced with tremendous uncertainties in the financial market a small Inn in Gorham, Maine has taken their future into their own hands with the creation of a unique gift card program. The Gift card or gift certificate program is believed to be the first of its kind and according to the owners, “Creates a one of a kind win-win-win situation. My business wins, the consumer wins and the recipient of the gift card wins. A win- win- win situation.”

This new gift card falls into the category of “Too good to be true” and although when something falls into this group it usually is too good to be true but in this case, the gift card is completely legitimate. What separates this gift card or gift certificate from any other card is that this card issues a cash rebate every year the business runs the card program. When the program ends, the last rebate check (prepare yourself) is for the full value of the gift card. Even if the gift card has been redeemed you still receive the full value of the card.

There are some fine print details you should know. First the yearly cash rebate is only 4% of the total value of the card. So if you buy $500 in gift cards you will receive $20 a year in cash rebates. Certainly not enough to retire on but it does add up each year the program operates. If the program runs 5 years than you would receive $100 in cash rebates but you last check would be for the full value. In this case, $500 or in investment terms you earned a 20% return.

The owners agree that the gift card details sound so strange that they often have to repeat the details so people have time for it to sink in. So to repeat: The cards return 4% of the purchase value in cash to the buyer each year of the program and at the termination of the program the buyer receives the full face value of the original purchase price even if the cards were redeemed or given away.

The Inn offering this unique gift card program is a top rated small Bed and Breakfast Inn located in southern Maine called “PineCrest Bed and Breakfast Inn”. The Inn offers premium lodging; fine dining three nights a week, live music and wine tastings. Although currently a 7 room Inn, the owners are using the proceeds from the gift card program as a creative way to help grow the business.

The gift card program creates a pool of funds that finance an expansion that will house additional luxury rooms, a handicapped accessible room for quadriplegics, an indoor personal spa pool and more. Like many small business caught in the turmoil of the commercial financial marketplace and finding their ability to grow threatened by Wall Street, the owners created a way to go beyond traditional financing.

Contact: Matt Mattingly Email: Matt@pinecrestmaine.com
1 South St. Gorham, Maine 04038
Web: www.visitmainegiftcard.com
207-839-5843 or 877-474-6322